49th Parallel

49th Parallel

Directed by Michael Powell • 1941 • United Kingdom
Starring Laurence Olivier, Raymond Massey, Anton Walbrook

At once a compelling piece of anti-isolationist propaganda and a quick-witted wartime thriller, 49TH PARALLEL is a classic early work from the inimitable British filmmaking team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. When a Nazi U-boat crew, headed by the ruthless Eric Portman, is stranded in Canada during the thick of World War II, the men evade capture by hiding out in a series of rural communities, before trying to cross the border into the still-neutral United States. Both soul-stirring and delightfully entertaining, 49TH PARALLEL features a colorful cast of characters played by larger-than-life actors Laurence Olivier, Raymond Massey, Anton Walbrook, and Leslie Howard.

49th Parallel
  • 49th Parallel

    Directed by Michael Powell • 1941 • United Kingdom
    Starring Laurence Olivier, Raymond Massey, Anton Walbrook

    At once a compelling piece of anti-isolationist propaganda and a quick-witted wartime thriller, 49TH PARALLEL is a classic early work from the inimitable British filmmaking team of Michae...

Extras

  • 49TH PARALLEL Commentary

    The following audio commentary by music and film historian Bruce Eder was recorded in 1990.

  • The Volunteer

    Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger • 1943 • United Kingdom

    During WWII, Ralph Richardson suggested that Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger make a recruitment film for the Fleet Air Arm, which both he and Laurence Olivier had joined. Pressburger proposed a “semidocumentary,” w...